A chance for Craig Smith

Practice lines yesterday indicated that Craig Smith could enter Game 5 tonight on the fourth line. Smith played with Paul Gaustad and Brandon Yip. Matt Halischuk was with the scratches. This morning Smith seemed pretty focused — not nervous — but like a player wanting the game to start this afternoon rather than this evening. Smith, a rookie, has yet to play in the series.

“I think I’ve seen enough games for a while. I know what to expect and I’m ready to go,” Smith said. “It’s going to be a tough game. They’re against the wall, so they’re going to bring everything they have. You have to manage it, bottle my energy and focus on doing what’s best for the team.”

Nashville Coach Barry Trotz believes Smith can be ready if he’s in.

“He brings a lot of speed, he brings a lot of determination,” Trotz said. “He has a way of getting into that interior part of the offensive zone where he scores most of his goals and he has worked really hard.”